Stop play award wagering system

Abstract

A system is adaptable to any game where a player sequentially receives a number of elements having identifying characteristics, with certain combinations of elements defined to be winning combinations. After all or part of an initial set of elements is obtained, the system offers the player an award to stop play prior to receiving a final set of elements. The amount of the offer is preferably based, at least in part, upon the probabilities of obtaining a winning combination using the initial set of elements received by the player. In accepting the "stop play" offer, the play of the game may cease, with the player forfeiting the right to win an award based on the final winning combinations, or, in an alternate embodiment, play can continue with an award, if any, based upon a modified pay schedule. In one embodiment, a standard video poker game is modified whereby upon receiving the initial set of five cards, an expected (winning) value for those cards is calculated based upon a summation of the awards and probabilities associated with every available discard and draw combination. Prior to permitting discards and further draws, an offer is made to the player based upon this calculated value. If the award is accepted, several playing options can be made available, such as terminating play, continuing play to show the optimum strategy and the result that would have been thereby obtained, or continuing play using a modified award schedule.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A player interactive gaming system comprising: a selected number of elements each having identifying characteristics, wherein certain combinations of said elements are defined to be winning combinations;   an element assigning system, having access to said selected number of elements and receiving player input signals, which assigns and displays to said player a plurality of said elements;   a stop play award system responsive to the identifying characteristics of at least one element assigned to said player for establishing a stop play award prior to said player being assigned a final one of said elements wherein the value of said stop play award is based at least in part on the probability that said at least one element will, in combination with another of said selected number of elements, comprise one or more of said winning combinations;   a final award system responsive to the identifying characteristics of the at least one element and the assignment of the final one of said elements for establishing a final award; and   an award distribution system responsive to the stop play award system, the final award system and player input signals, for distributing to said player the winning final award when the elements assigned to the player include said final one of said elements and when the combination of elements assigned to the player includes at least one of said winning combinations and for distributing to the player the stop play award when said distribution system receives a player input signal indicating said player has accepted said stop play award.   
     
     
       2. The player interactive gaming system of claim 1 wherein said selected number of elements are comprised of playing cards. 
     
     
       3. The player interactive gaming system of claim 2 wherein said winning combinations are defined as winning poker card combinations including a pair, two pairs, three of a kind, a full house, a straight, a flush and a royal flush. 
     
     
       4. The player interactive gaming system of claim 1 wherein the selected number of elements are comprised of numbers. 
     
     
       5. The player interactive gaming system of claim 4 further comprising a mechanism which defines at least one set of numbers to be said winning combination prior to said stop play award system offering said player said stop play award. 
     
     
       6. The player interactive gaming system of claim 1 wherein: the selected number of elements comprise a plurality of markings on a plurality of spinning reels;   the element assigning system comprises a mechanism for sequentially stopping said plurality of spinning reels;   the assigned at least one element comprises the positions of said markings on said reel when said reel is stopped; and   the elements assigned to the player which include the final one of said elements comprise those markings on the plurality of reels that lie in a selected portion of said reels when all of the reels have been stopped.   
     
     
       7. The player interactive gaming system of claim 1 wherein a player input signal indicating said player has accepted said stop play award prevents said award distributing system from distributing any of said final awards. 
     
     
       8. The player interactive gaming system of claim 1 wherein said element assigning system sequentially assigns and displays elements to said player in response to a first player input signal. 
     
     
       9. The player interactive gaming system of claim 8 wherein said first player input signal is produced in response to a wager by said player. 
     
     
       10. The player interactive gaming system of claim 9 wherein the value of said stop play award is proportional to an expected value of said at least one element assigned to said player when said stop play offer is made, said expected value being established by said stop play award system according to the following formula: ##EQU5## where A n  is the winning combination award amount paid for a nth winning combination, P(A n ) is the mathematical probability that given the elements said player has been assigned when said stop play offer is made, said player will be assigned a fixed portion of said elements containing said nth winning combination, and   N is the total number of said winning combinations that can be attained by said player given the elements said player has been assigned when said stop play offer is made.   
     
     
       11. A player interactive gaming system comprising: assignment means for assigning a portion of a selected number of elements having identifying characteristics to said player, wherein certain combinations of said elements are defined to be winning combinations;   interrupt means for interrupting said assignment of elements, after said player has received a first number of elements and offering said player a stop play award based on said first number of elements wherein the value of said stop play award is based at least in part on the probability that said at least one element will, in combination with another of said selected number of elements, comprise one or more of said winning combinations;   selection means for enabling said player to accept or reject said stop play offer, wherein player acceptance of said stop play award offer results in said player receiving said stop play award, and player rejection of said stop play award results in continued assignment of elements; and   award distribution means for providing the stop play award to said player in response to an indication from the selection means of player acceptance of the stop play offer, and for providing a winning combination award based on winning combinations of said elements contained within the elements assigned to the player.   
     
     
       12. The player interactive gaming system of claim 11 wherein said selected number of elements comprise cards, and a said assignment means comprises a dealer. 
     
     
       13. The player interactive gaming system of claim 11 further comprising an expected value calculation means for calculating a value upon which the stop play award is based, said expected value being calculated by the following formula: ##EQU6## where A n  is the award amount paid for a nth winning combination, P(A n ) is the mathematical probability, given said first number of elements assigned to said player, that said player will receive a fixed portion containing said nth winning combination, and   N is the total number of said winning combinations that can be attained by said player with said first number of elements.   
     
     
       14. The player interactive gaming system of claim 13 wherein said stop play award size is base at least in part on said value calculated by said expected value calculation means. 
     
     
       15. The player interactive gaming system of claim 14 wherein said stop play award is proportional to said expected value. 
     
     
       16. The player interactive gaming system of claim 15 further comprising a means for selectively changing the degree to which said stop play award is proportional to said expected value. 
     
     
       17. The player interactive gaming system of claim 11 wherein said selected number of elements comprise electronic signals representative of said assigned elements and said assignment means includes a first central processing unit connected to a video display for displaying to said player said assigned elements. 
     
     
       18. The player interactive gaming system of claim 17 wherein said interrupt means and said award distribution means are an integral part of said first central processing unit, and said selection means provides inputs to said first central processing unit. 
     
     
       19. The player interactive gaming system of claim 18 wherein said expected value calculation means includes a second central processing unit which provides inputs to said first central processing unit indicative of said expected value. 
     
     
       20. A player interactive gaming system comprising: assignment means for assigning to the player a first number of elements selected from a greater number of elements having identifying characteristics wherein certain combinations of said elements are defined to be winning combinations;   means for determining a first stop play award based upon the first number of elements wherein the value of said stop play award is based at least in part on the probability that said at least one element will, in combination with another of said selected number of elements, comprise one or more of said winning combinations;   means for offering the first stop play award to the player;   means responsive to player inputs for assigning additional elements to the player;   means for determining a final award based upon winning combinations of elements assigned to the player; and   award means responsive to the means for determining a stop play award and to the means for determining a final award for providing one of said awards to said player.   
     
     
       21. The player interactive gaming system of claim 20 wherein the elements comprise cards and wherein the assignment means comprises a dealer. 
     
     
       22. The player interactive gaming system of claim 21 further comprising an expected value calculation means for determining an expected value of said first number of elements. 
     
     
       23. The player interactive gaming system of claim 22 wherein said expected value calculation means includes a table containing the expected values for the possible combinations of the first number of elements. 
     
     
       24. The player interactive gaming system of claim 23 wherein said stop play award determining means receives said expected value from said expected value calculation means and thereby produces a first stop play award amount based at least in part on said expected value. 
     
     
       25. The player interactive gaming system of claim 22 wherein said expected value for said first number of elements is calculated by said expected value calculation means according to the following formula: ##EQU7## where A n  is the award amount paid for a nth winning combination, P(A n ) is the mathematical probability, given said first number of elements assigned to said player, that said player will be assigned said additional elements so that the combination of said first number of elements and said additional elements contains said nth winning combinations and   N is the total number of said winning combinations that can be attained by said player with said first number of elements.   
     
     
       26. The player interactive gaming system of claim 25 wherein said determining means receives said expected value from said expected value calculation means and thereby produces a first stop play award amount proportional to said expected value. 
     
     
       27. The player interactive gaming system of claim 26 wherein said greater number of elements comprise electronic signals representative of said assigned elements, and wherein said assignment means includes a first central processing unit connected to a video display for displaying to said player said assigned elements. 
     
     
       28. The player interactive gaming system of claim 27 wherein said means for determining a first stop play award, said means responsive to player inputs and said means for determining a final award are an integral part of said first central processing unit. 
     
     
       29. The player interactive gaming system of claim 28 wherein said expected value calculation means includes a second central processing unit which provides inputs to said first central processing unit indicative of said expected value. 
     
     
       30. The player interactive gaming system of claim 28 wherein said first central processing unit further includes a means for permitting the degree of proportionality between said first stop play award amount and said expected value to be selectively changed. 
     
     
       31. The player interactive gaming system of claim 26 further comprising means for determining a second stop play award based upon a second number of elements. 
     
     
       32. The player interactive gaming system of claim 31 wherein said second stop play award is proportional to an expected value of said second number of elements. 
     
     
       33. The player interactive gaming system of claim 32 wherein said expected value of said second number of elements is calculated by said expected value calculation means according to the following formula: ##EQU8## where A n  is the award amount paid for a nth winning combination, P(A n ) is the mathematical probability, given said second number of elements assigned to said player, that said player will be assigned said additional elements so that the combination of said second number of elements and said additional elements contains said nth winning combinations and   N is the total number of said winning combinations that can be attained by said player with said second number of elements.   
     
     
       34. The player interactive gaming system of claim 33 wherein the award means is further responsive to said means for determining said second stop play award. 
     
     
       35. A player interactive video draw poker game comprising: a video screen;   a plurality of individual card signals representative of cards in a playing card deck, wherein certain combinations of said card signals are defined to be winning combinations;   a player input unit providing a plurality of player input signals in response to player manipulation of said input unit; and   a central processing unit responsive to said plurality of card signals, connected to said video screen, and receiving said plurality of player input signals, wherein said central processing unit comprises: means for assigning a first number of said card signals to said player and displaying on said video screen representations of said first number of card signals to said player in response to a first number of said player input signals;   means for generating a stop play award offer to be displayed to said player on said video screen in response to the contents of said first number of said card signals wherein the value of said stop play award is based at least in part on the probability that said first number of card signals will, in combination with another of said plurality of individual card signals, comprise one or more of said winning combinations;   means for signalling an award dispenser to dispense a stop play award in response to a second set of player input signals indicative of acceptance by said player of said stop play award offer;   means for replacing selected card signals assigned to said player with different card signals, thereby forming a second number of said card representative signals, and displaying on said video screen said second number of said card signals in response to a third set of player input signals; and   means for signalling said award dispenser to dispense to said player a winning combination award when said second number of said card signals includes at least one of said winning combination of signals.     
     
     
       36. The video draw poker game of claim 35 wherein said winning combinations are defined to include a pair of aces, a pair of kings, a pair of queens, a pair of jacks, two pairs, three of a kind, a flush, a straight, four of a kind, and a royal flush. 
     
     
       37. The video draw poker game of claim 36 wherein said first number of said player input signals includes a wager. 
     
     
       38. The video draw poker game of claim 37 wherein said first number of said card signals and said second number of said card signals comprise five individual card signals wherein said player employs a selected discard strategy to replace up to five of said first number of said card signals to be assigned said second number of card signals. 
     
     
       39. The video draw poker game of claim 38 wherein said stop play award offer is based in part on an expected value of said first number of card signals. 
     
     
       40. The video draw poker game of claim 39 wherein said expected value is calculated according to the following formula: ##EQU9## where A n  is the award amount paid for a nth winning combination, P(A n ) is the mathematical probability, given said first number of said card signals assigned to said player, that said player will be assigned said second number of card signals containing said nth winning combination, and   N is the total number of said winning combinations that can be attained by said player with said first number of card signals.   
     
     
       41. The video draw poker game of claim 40 wherein said expected value calculation is performed by a central processing unit based calculation module, and wherein said module calculates said expected value for all possible discard strategies, then signals to said central processing unit said highest expected value and said discard strategy achieving said highest expected value. 
     
     
       42. The video draw poker game of claim 41 wherein said central processing unit generates said stop play award offer based on said highest expected value and, in response to said second set of player inputs further displays to said player said discard strategy having said highest expected value. 
     
     
       43. The video draw poker game of claim 42 wherein said central processing unit implements said discard strategy having said highest expected value thereby replacing card signals of said first number of card signals with additional card signals plurality of card signals and displays to said player on said video screen the resulting card signals. 
     
     
       44. The video draw poker game of claim 43 further comprising a breakage means for truncating said stop play award to a nearest integer multiple of said wager amount, said remainder being stored in a breakage register. 
     
     
       45. The video draw poker game of claim 44 wherein the contents of said breakage register is selectively distributed to said players based on signals from said central processing unit. 
     
     
       46. A method of playing a game comprising the steps of assigning to a player a first number of elements selected from a second number of elements having identifying characteristics;   defining certain combinations of said elements to be winning combinations;   displaying said first number of elements assigned to said player;   determining a stop play award the value of which is based at least in part on the probability that said first number of elements will, in combination of at least one additional element of said second number of elements, comprise one or more of said winning combinations;   offering said player said stop play award;   assigning additional elements to said player in response to player inputs;   determining a final award based upon winning combinations of elements assigned to the player; and   providing one of said determined awards to said player.   
     
     
       47. The method of playing a game according to claim 46 further comprising the steps of: placing a wager by said player prior to said assigning of elements; and   determining and distributing a second final award to said player if said player has accepted said stop play award and said assigned elements contain at least one of said winning combinations.   
     
     
       48. The method of playing a game according to claim 46 wherein said additional assigned elements are assigned to replace selected elements of said first number of elements. 
     
     
       49. The method of playing a game according to the claim 48 wherein the step of determining a stop play award comprises the steps of: calculating in expected value of the first number of elements for each possible replacement of said first number of elements with said second number of elements using the following formula: ##EQU10##  where A n  is the award amount paid for a nth winning combination, P(A n ) is the mathematical probability, given said first number of elements assigned to said player, that said player will receive elements containing said nth winning combination, and     N is the total number of said winning combinations that can be attained by said player with said first number of elements; and determining the stop play award value as being proportional to the highest calculated expected value of each of the possible replacements of said first number of elements with said second number of elements.     
     
     
       50. The method of playing a game according to claim 46 wherein said elements are playing cards and said step of defining winning combinations comprises defining said winning combination of cards to be winning draw poker card combinations. 
     
     
       51. The method of playing a game according to claim 46 wherein said elements are spinning reels with markings and wherein: the step of defining winning combinations comprises defining combinations of said markings that appear in a selected region adjacent said reels when said reels are at rest;   the step of assigning said first number of elements comprises stopping at least one of said spinning reels; and   the step of assigning additional elements includes stopping at least another of said spinning reels.   
     
     
       52. The method of playing a game according to claim 46 wherein said elements comprise numbers and said step of defining winning combinations comprises substantially randomly selecting said numbers. 
     
     
       53. A method of playing poker with at least one deck of cards comprising the steps of: defining certain combinations of cards to be winning combinations;   assigning and displaying to a player a first number of said cards in response to a first player signal;   offering said player a stop play award the value of which is based at least in part on the probability that said first number of cards will, in combination with one or more of cards of said deck of cards, comprise one or more of said winning combinations;   dispensing said stop play award to said player in response to a second player signal indicative of player acceptance of said offer;   assigning and displaying to said player a second number of said cards in response to a third player signal; and   dispensing an award to said player if said cards assigned to said player include at least one of said winning combinations.   
     
     
       54. The method of playing poker as defined in claim 53 wherein said first player signal comprises the step of placing a wager. 
     
     
       55. The method of playing draw poker as defined in claim 53 wherein said first number of cards assigned to the player is five. 
     
     
       56. The method of playing poker as defined in claim 53 wherein said winning combinations include a pair, two pairs, three of a kind, four of a kind, a full house, a straight, a flush, a straight flush, and a royal flush. 
     
     
       57. The method of playing poker as defined in claim 53 wherein said step of assigning and displaying to said player said second number of said cards in response to said third player signal comprises replacing cards selected by said player from said first number of cards with cards from said deck. 
     
     
       58. The method of playing poker as defined in claim 53 further comprising the step of calculating the amount of said stop play award based at least in part on an expected value of said first number of cards. 
     
     
       59. The method of playing poker as defined in claim 58 wherein the expected value is determined by reference to a table containing expected values of card combinations. 
     
     
       60. The method of playing poker of claim 58 wherein the stop play award is based at least in part on the highest expected value of said first number of cards calculated for all possible replacement strategies of said first number of cards according to the following formula: ##EQU11## where A n  is the award amount paid for a nth winning combination, P(A n ) is the mathematical probability, given said first number of cards assigned to said player, that said second number of cards will contain said nth winning combination, and   N is the total number of said winning combinations that can be attained by said player with said first number of cards.   
     
     
       61. The method of playing poker as defined in claim 60 wherein said method is implemented on a video poker game comprising a video display screen and a central processing unit. 
     
     
       62. The method of playing poker as defined in claim 61 wherein said central processing unit assigns and displays said cards in the form of video signals representative of said cards displayed on said video screen.